Conventional cochlear implant systems include an external sound processor that provides power and data to an implanted cochlear implant by way of a passive headpiece communicatively coupled with the cochlear implant. For example, the sound processor may be worn behind an ear of a patient and may include components such as a battery, a microphone, sound processing circuitry, and wireless transmission circuitry. The sound processor may transmit data-modulated AC power through the skin of the patient to the cochlear implant by way of an antenna coil embedded within a headpiece that is separate from and connected by way of a cable to the sound processor (e.g., a headpiece that is attached to the head at a location that is more closely aligned with the cochlear implant).
Unfortunately, in some examples, there may be certain drawbacks to transmitting power and data from the sound processor to a passive headpiece in this manner. For example, unwanted emissions emanating from the cable between the sound processor and the headpiece may cause emission compliance issues and may be a source of inefficiency compromising the battery life of the cochlear implant system. Additionally, this conventional power and data transmission paradigm may not be particularly flexible. For example, in order for a sound processor to function properly with a given cochlear implant (e.g., including previously-implanted legacy cochlear implants), the sound processor must be capable of providing the data-modulated AC power at a carrier frequency with which the cochlear implant is compatible. Such requirements may place undesirable constraints on sound processor designs.